Method and apparatus for processing gizzards

Abstract

A method and apparatus for separating an intestine from a gizzard comprising an infeed overhead rail indexing conveyor assembly, and a dual blade cutter assembly, which teaches a novel method and apparatus for separating a substantial portion of the intestine from a gizzard with an increased yield. The steps of the process can include feeding a viscera pack into a feed end of the overhead rail system; capturing and conveying the pack with a conveyor belt or chain having indexing members along a path to engage the dual blade cutter assembly. A substantial portion of the intestine and the separated gizzard with a small portion of the intestine remaining are allowed to separate after being severed by the dual blade and fall along separate chutes for further processing.

1 . An apparatus for separating a substantial portion of the intestine for harvesting a gizzard from a poultry viscera comprising:
 an overhead rail assembly having side by side left and right overhead rails extending from an infeed end to a discharge end along a path of conveyance, where said left and right overhead rails extend substantially in parallel one with respect to the other, and are proximately spaced apart forming a lengthwise substantially uniform gap there between said left and right overhead rails, and where said gap is sufficiently narrow to prevent an upper portion of a viscera to pass through said gap while sufficiently wide to allow a small portion of an intestine proximate said gizzard to pass through said gap whereby a substantially larger portion of the intestine is maintained below the overhead rail assembly;   an overhead indexing conveyor assembly vertically aligned above the overhead rail assembly and having an indexing conveyor chain with indexing members extending from said conveyor chain and oriented lengthwise along the path of conveyance and proximately above said overhead rail to urge the viscera along the over head rail; and   a blade assembly positioned proximate the discharge end and having a blade positioned immediately beneath the overhead rail and adapted to severe any the intestine hanging below the overhead rail.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , where the blade assembly includes a left and right cutter assembly mounted on opposing sides of the overhead rail assembly, one with respect to the other, where the left cutter assembly includes a left circular blade mounted on a left arbor rotatably mounted to a left drive and right cutter assembly includes a right circular blade mounted on a right arbor rotatably mounted to a right drive. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , where the left or right cutter assemblies are mounted such that one of the cutter assemblies is at a slightly higher elevation with respect to the other and such that the left and right circular blades overlap one with respect to the other. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , where at least one of the left and right blades have an elongated notch extending from the outer edge radially inward. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , where a portion of the left and right overhead rails on the discharge end of the overhead rails has an upward incline and the blade assemblies are mounted such that the circular blades have a comparable incline. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 5 , where the conveyor chain is an endless conveyor chain traveling over an infeed end sprocket and a discharge end sprocket distal with respect to the infeed end sprocket and a middle sprocket positioned between said discharge end sprocket and said infeed end sprocket along the path of conveyance and where said discharge end sprocket is positioned at a higher vertical elevation with respect to the middle sprocket creating a slightly upward incline in the endless conveyor chain. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 6 , where the indexing members are a plurality of lugs attached along the length of the endless conveyor chain and spaced apart an equidistance one with respect to the other and orthogonally extending from said endless conveyor chain. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an upper chute oriented proximate the discharge end of said overhead rail assembly and adapted to channel the upper portion of the viscera in a first direction for further processing; and   a lower chute oriented and vertically aligned below the cutter assembly adapted to channel the larger portion of the intestine in a second direction for further processing.   
   
   
       9 . An apparatus for harvesting usable parts from a poultry viscera comprising:
 an overhead rail assembly having side by side left and right overhead rails extending from an infeed end to a discharge end along a path of conveyance, where said left and right overhead rails extend substantially in parallel one with respect to the other, and are proximately spaced apart forming a lengthwise substantially uniform gap there between said left and right overhead rails, and where said gap is sufficiently narrow to prevent an upper portion of a viscera to pass through said gap while sufficiently wide to allow a small portion of an intestine proximate said gizzard to pass through said gap whereby a substantially larger portion of the intestine is maintained below the overhead rail assembly;   an overhead endless indexing chain conveyor vertically aligned above the overhead rail assembly and oriented lengthwise along the path of conveyance and proximately above said overhead rail and adapted to urge the viscera along the over head rail; and   a blade assembly positioned between the discharge end and the infeed end and having a blade positioned immediately beneath the overhead rail and adapted to severe any the intestine hanging below the overhead rail.   
   
   
       10 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , where the blade assembly includes a left and right cutter assembly mounted on opposing sides of the overhead rail assembly, one with respect to the other, where the left cutter assembly includes a left circular blade mounted on a left arbor rotatably mounted to a left drive and right cutter assembly includes a right circular blade mounted on a right arbor rotatably mounted to a right drive. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 10 , where the left or right cutter assemblies are mounted such that one of the cutter assemblies is at a slightly higher elevation with respect to the other and such that the left and right circular blades overlap one with respect to the other. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 10 , where at least one of the left and right blades have an elongated notch extending from the outer edge radially inward. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 10 , where a portion of the left and right overhead rails on the discharge end of the overhead rails has an upward incline and the blade assemblies are mounted such that the circular blades have a comparable incline. 
   
   
       14 . A method for harvesting usable parts from a poultry viscera comprising the steps of:
 feeding a poultry viscera onto an overhead rail assembly having side by side left and right overhead rails extending from an infeed end to a discharge end along a path of conveyance, where said left and right overhead rails extend substantially in parallel one with respect to the other, and are proximately spaced apart forming a lengthwise substantially uniform gap there between said left and right overhead rails, and where feeding includes allowing a small portion of an intestine proximate said gizzard to pass through said gap while maintaining a substantially larger portion of the intestine below the overhead rail assembly where said gap is sufficiently narrow to prevent an upper portion of a viscera to pass through said gap while sufficiently wide to receive the portion of the intestine proximate the gizzard;   urging the viscera from the infeed end to the discharge end with an overhead indexing conveyor assembly vertically aligned above the overhead rail assembly and having an indexing conveyor chain with indexing members extending from said conveyor chain and oriented lengthwise along the path of conveyance and proximately above said overhead rail to urge the viscera along the over head rail; and   cutting away the substantially larger portion of the intestine below the rail with a blade assembly positioned proximate the discharge end and having a blade positioned immediately beneath the overhead rail and adapted to severe any the intestine hanging below the overhead rail.   
   
   
       15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , where cutting away is cutting with the blade assembly including a left and right cutter assembly mounted on opposing sides of the overhead rail assembly, one with respect to the other, where the left cutter assembly includes a left circular blade mounted on a left arbor rotatably mounted to a left drive and right cutter assembly includes a right circular blade mounted on a right arbor rotatably mounted to a right drive. 
   
   
       16 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:
 mounting one of the cutter assemblies is at a slightly higher elevation with respect to the other and such that the left and right circular blades overlap one with respect to the other.   
   
   
       17 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:
 channeling the upper portion of the viscera in a first direction with an upper chute oriented proximate the discharge end of said overhead rail assembly for further processing; and   channeling the larger portion of the intestine in a second direction with a lower chute oriented and vertically aligned below the cutter assembly for further processing.   
   
   
       18 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , where cutting away is cutting substantially all of the intestine away except for a small portion.